DP History at GESS
At GESS, the History course offers an in-depth exploration of the past, fostering an understanding of historical events, ideas, and movements from a global perspective. The curriculum encourages students to engage with historical concepts such as change, causation, significance, and perspectives, which shape how we understand the world today. Students will explore key themes, including the rise and fall of empires, the causes and effects of wars, social movements, and the evolution of political systems.

💠 Why Study History at GESS?
👉 Concept-Driven Learning – Students engage with key concepts such as change, causation, significance, and perspectives, providing a framework to analyze historical events and developments.
👉 Critical Thinking and Analysis – The course sharpens students' ability to critically evaluate historical sources, interpret data, and formulate well-supported arguments.
👉 Global Perspective – The curriculum ensures students study history from multiple regions of the world, promoting international-mindedness and appreciation for diverse perspectives.
👉 Holistic Historical Understanding – The course is structured around core themes that encourage students to make connections between historical events and contemporary society:

• Prescribed Subjects – In-depth study of specific historical topics, including military leaders, rights and protests, and conflict and intervention.

• World History Topics – A wide-ranging exploration of major historical themes such as industrialization, independence movements, and authoritarian states.

• Internal Assessment – A historical investigation where students research a topic of their choice, deepening their understanding of historical methods.

💠 Assessment
🔸 Internal Assessment (IA) – Students complete an in-depth historical investigation, researching a topic of their choice to develop key historical skills.
🔸 Examinations

• Paper 1 (SL & HL) – Source-based questions on prescribed subjects.

• Paper 2 (SL & HL) – Essay-based questions on world history topics.

• Paper 3 (HL Only) – Essay-based questions on one of the HL regional options.

💠 History at GESS: HL vs. SL
🔹 Higher Level (HL): HL students undertake a deeper study of historical topics, including an in-depth regional option and additional focus on sources and historical debates. They also complete Paper 3, which covers regional case studies.
🔹 Standard Level (SL): SL students study key historical concepts and major global themes with a strong foundation in analysis and argumentation.

History at GESS provides students with the skills to critically assess the past, consider multiple perspectives, and understand the complexities that shape the modern world. It prepares them for further study in history, political science, law, and international relations.

Here are the specific topics at GESS:

Core Topics and Structure:

Paper 1: Move to Global War (Source-Based Paper)

• Japanese Expansion (1931-1941): Causes and consequences of Japanese militarism, Manchurian Crisis, Sino-Japanese War, relations with Western powers.

• German and Italian Expansion (1933-1940): Hitler’s foreign policy, reoccupation of the Rhineland, Anschluss, Sudetenland and Munich Agreement, Italian expansion into Abyssinia and Albania.

• International Responses: Role of the League of Nations, appeasement policies, US isolationism, reaction of Britain, France, and the USSR.

Paper 2: Thematic Comparative Study

Authoritarian States (Hitler, Lenin, Castro)

• Rise to power: Economic crises, political instability, weaknesses of opposition.

• Methods of consolidation: Role of ideology, propaganda, coercion, repression, use of violence.

• Domestic policies and impact: Economic, social, cultural, and foreign policies; effectiveness in maintaining power.

20th Century Wars (WWI, WWII, Russian Civil War, Cuban Civil War)

• Causes of war: Political, economic, ideological, long-term and short-term factors.

• Nature of warfare: Military strategies, technology, role of civilians, impact on societies.

• Consequences and peace settlements: Treaty of Versailles, post-war diplomacy, reconstruction efforts.

Paper 3: Higher Level European History

• World War I (1914-1918): Origins, home front, the impact of the war on civilians, the outcome of the war, the role of the US.

• Russia (1855-1924): Tsarist rule, reforms of Alexander II, Revolution of 1905, the impact of WW1 on Russian society, February and October Revolutions, Civil War, Lenin’s policies.

• European States in the Interwar Years (1918-1939): Weimar Germany, crisis of Nazism

• Diplomacy in Europe (1918-1945): Paris Peace Conference, League of Nations, Appeasement, Nazi-Soviet Pact, outbreak of WWII.